A POLITICAL analyst on Monday said President Rodrigo Duterte’s first State of the Nation address was “from the heart [and] pragmatic” but spoke of “sincerity of policy and action” that could bring about change without raising taxes.
Ramon Casiple, executive director of Institutional for Electoral Reforms, said Duterte showed that he knew his limits when he cited the need to protect the environment, while acknowledging the need for mining to bring about growth.!
Duterte, he said, was also pragmatic in looking at the Moro problem by avoiding the contested provisions of the Bangsamoro Basic Law that some lawmakers viewed as unconstitutional.
“President Duterte is arguing with himself. He simply could not articulate it better in Filipino but he means it in a positive way because while his approach is pragmatic, his plans and actions are doable,” Casiple said.
“Everything he said and promised will work,” Casiple added.
Told that Duterte vowed to provide rice subsidy to the four million recipients of the 4Ps or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Casiple said the President did not have to raise taxes because he could make tax collection more efficient.
“On taxation, my administration will pursue tax reforms towards a simpler, and more equitable, and more efficient tax system that can foster investment and job creation,” Duterte said. “We will lower personal and corporate income tax rates and relax the bank secrecy laws,” Duterte said.
At the household level, he said, there must be sufficient income for all Filipinos to meet the basic food and non-food needs for their families.
“We shall continue to attract investments that will generate thousands of jobs each year—jobs that are suitable for the poor and less skilled members of the workforce,” the President said.
“Reforms to ensure competitiveness and promote ease of doing business will be mandatory. Reacting to these needs, the restrictions on the economy will be needed to make more investments to come and to develop labor-intensive industries such as manufacturing, agriculture and tourism shall be pursued.
“We must also invest in human capital and ensure equal access to economic opportunities.
“The implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law must be put into full force and effect so that couples, especially the poor, will have freedom of informed choice on the number and spacing of children they can adequately care and provide for, eventually making them more productive members of the labor force,” Duterte said.
Casiple said the public should give Duterte the benefit of the doubt for at least in the first 100 days and support his fight against criminality and illegal drugs and corruption.
On Monday, Duterte vowed that this fight will be relentless and sustained.
“I reiterate that commitment today. And that is why I call on the Philippine National Police, the barangay chairmen, the Mayors, and Governors and all those occupying seats of power and authority, not to lower their guard. There will be no let-up in this campaign. Double your efforts. Triple them, if need be. We will not stop until the last drug lord, the last financier, and the last pusher has surrendered or [been] put behind bars or below the ground, if they so wish,” Duterte said.